


Lovely Child of Mine

by Magical_Devil_Alex



Series: Ego Shanagins [16]
Category: Markiplier Egos, markiplier - Fandom
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Age Regression/De-Aging, Angst, Bim is terrified of Dark, Developing Relationship, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Suicide Attempt, bim is a small boi, i swear its mosty in the last chapter, they're not quite there yet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-22
Updated: 2018-07-05
Packaged: 2019-05-08 05:06:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14687109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magical_Devil_Alex/pseuds/Magical_Devil_Alex
Summary: When some weird spell Wilford Warfstache came up with went wrong, none of the Egos expected Bim Trimmer to be turned into a small child, let alone for him to be scared of Dark.





	1. Lovely Child of Mine

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! Just so you all know, part of the basis for this fic is that before the Egos became 'Egos,' they had their own life. If that doesn't really make any sense, don't worry! It's explained better in the fic. Enjoy!

It all happened so fast that none of the Egos knew how to react.

One moment, Wilford was showing them his latest idea for a show, the pink madman showing them demonstrations, magic tricks, the whole nine yards. The next moment a blast of pink hit Bim straight on, causing the show host to yelp in surprise and fall to the floor. 

Dr. Iplier was the first to snap out of his shock, running over to Bim, who was on his back. His mouth was open like a fish, not a sound coming out. He was still breathing, thank God, but his entire body seemed to be paralyzed, fingers hovering at his sides in odd positions, like they were reforming themselves.

"What the Hell did you do?" demanded the doctor, eyes bright with anger as he stared at the pink Ego for an explanation. Wilford just looked on with wide eyes and an  _'oh shit,'_ face, knowing just how much he fucked up. He hasn't ever really tried out that spell until now, and if he did it correctly, something weird was just about to happen. Whether or not he would live to see that was still on the table, going by the look the doctor was giving him.

From the head of the table, the sound of an aura ringing harshly filled the meeting room. Most of the Egos flinched at this, even Wilford, knowing that the ringing meant bad news. For the most part, the ringing was a normal part of everyday life, something that everyone had kind of just blocked out at this point, but at that pitch and that loud, everyone knew what that meant.

Darkiplier was pissed.

"Wilford..." Dark said quietly, clearly trying to hold in his anger. "What does that spell do?"

The mustached Egos shifted nervously, avoiding eye contact with the darker Ego while the rest of them held their breath in anticipation. "Well you see Dark-" he started, only to be cut off by the sound of Bim moaning in pain and another bright flash, white in color this time. Dr. Iplier about tripped over himself in surprise, but Bing, who was nearest to him, was able to catch him before he hit the ground. All of the Egos didn't know what to do, most of them not being able to see what happened even standing up. Only those closest to Bim saw the sudden shrink of the show host, his body contracting and becoming thinner until he was less than half of his former size, nothing but skin and bones. The only pieces of clothing on his body were what looked almost like rags, beat up and barely holding it together. 

Dr. Iplier slowly walked towards Bim in a daze, completely confused by what he saw. The show host now looked like a child, curled up in a little ball and asleep. His glasses were gone, his usually partially slicked back hair a mess, and his skin was covered in dirt and bruises.

What the Hell?

The harsh pitch of Dark's ringing got the doctors attention, eyes shifting to the side to see the darker Ego beside him. He couldn't read Dark's expressions very well, his face concealed and together, but no one could mistake the look of anger in his eyes. Pure rage more like. 

"Wilford, tell me, does that spell of yours make victim of it turn back into a child?"

Wilford smiled sheepishly, trying to come off nonchalant. "It might, yes."

The doctor's eyes widened at that, not sure what to do about this. He's seen a  _lot_ of weird spells over the years, but this one had to be the weirdest. Why in the  _world_ would there ever be a need for such a spell? Once again, Dr. Iplier was so glad that he didn't have any weird, fucked up powers like some of the others. But the problem still remained in everyone's mind: what the hell were they supposed to with mini Bim?

It was Yandere that brought it up. "So now what?"

A ripple of whispers went through the meeting room, most of them still struggling to understand what was going on. Dark never said a word, all of his attention on Bim. It was odd to see the dark Ego so focused on the show host like that, seeing that they didn't exactly interact with each other all that much, but Dr. Iplier guessed he could understand the concern. After all, it wasn't every day someone got turned into a small child again via a magic spell no one really knew about.

They all started to crowd around now, except for The Host, who remained in his chair, softly narrating under his breath. The doctor didn't know what he was seeing that the rest of them didn't, but he left the blind Ego to it. The Host had his own reasons for doing the things he did, and the doctor wasn't about to pry now, not when one of their own needed help, or at least, he  _assumed_ Bim needed help. There wasn't a manual for these sort of things.

"Do you think he'll be like this forever?" Bing questioned, concern lacing his voice. Google, who was next to him, shook his head.

"Most spells, while in the realm of magic, do not last forever, unlike curses or blessings. Bim will probably be back to normal within the next few weeks," the android said in a monotone, matter of fact way. Wilford looked at him with a stunned look, and Dr. Iplier couldn't help but feel the same.

"How in the world do  _you_ know?" Wilford demanded, and Google just gave a small shrug in return.

"I deal with beings that are made of magic and do not obey the laws of physics every day," the blue android informed. "I must know what I am dealing with."

Well, Dr. Iplier couldn't argue with that. In fact, if he could, he would gladly cut both Wilford and Dark open to find out what the two were made of, but he didn't think the two would like that. 

From below, Bim's little ball began to shift, little groans escaping his mouth. It was so odd to hear his voice at such a high pitch, especially with how small it sounded since it was usually so big. The doctor always assumed since Bim was such a loud and extravagant personality that he must have been that way since he was a child and before he became an Ego. It was weird how it all worked, most people thinking that the Egos came out of nowhere, just a figment of Mark that came into being with the fans pushing them along, but that wasn't the whole story. Yes, they were all apart of Mark in some way, but before they were, they had their own lives, were their own people. Dr. Iplier himself was a student in med school before he was hit suddenly by a speeding car and died, being reborned by Mark, not able to say anything besides, "I'm sorry, you're dying." It was weird, but it was them.

Dr. Iplier was about to say that maybe they should all give Bim some space when the boy's eyes snapped open, wide and confused. He looked up, still curled in the ball, and stared at all of the Egos surrounding him. His eyes were like honey, a lovely golden brown color that the doctor never really noticed before, and wondered how he missed. He could have sworn Bim's eyes were just a normal brown like most of the other Egos.

A few tense seconds passed, all of the Egos staring back at the little boy that was once the adult Bim. The boy's eyes then landed on Dark, and they widened even more, so much that the doctor was sure his eyes were about to pop out. He shot up, revealing more bruises that covered his legs, and even some old, faded scars, and bolted. 

Dark's ringing sharpened, his red and blue freezing for a moment as all the Egos stood in shock as Bim disappeared. Dr. Iplier finally snapped out of it, realizing that Bim didn't have his memories from his adult life, and now he was running around Ego Inc without a clue where he was going. They had to find him and calm him down from whatever fear he suddenly had.

"Bim!" the doctor called out, running in the direction where Bim had gone, out the door and down the hallway. But which was did he go? He couldn't see him on either side, but that couldn't be right. There was no way a small child could run that  _fast,_ let alone vanish without a trace. He turned to the other Egos, determination crossing his features. "We need to find him! Common, stop staring at me like that. Whatever magic fuckery happened to him, he's just a kid now, and we need to help him."

Wilford blinked furiously for a moment before teleporting next to Dr. Iplier, a puff of pink smoke in his wake. "I'm checking the studio and audience. I know that lace like the back of my hand," he said, teleporting away.

Dr. Iplier mumbled to himself, running through all of the places in Ego Inc in his head. "Google, Bing! Go to the technology rooms and your charging stations. The last thing we need is for Bim to electrocute himself. Yandere, check the kitchen and laundry rooms, King, go outside and see if he found his way out there, Host, go to your library and tell us if you can find where his is, and Dark-," the doctor cut himself off, suddenly aware the he was about to boss Darkiplier around, but the darker Ego just raised an eyebrow as if to ask what he could do. Dr. Iplier coughed into his hand, trying to make it seem like he meant to do that. "Dark, check all the bedroom and other places I didn't mention. I'm going to my clinic, one to see if he's there and two because he's covered in bruises and cuts. Let's go!"

And just like that, the Egos split up, all going to to the places the doctor had assigned them. It surprised the Dr. Iplier, seeing that they were all usually so rowdy and hard to control, but now it seemed they understood the dangers of having Bim wander around without any idea of where he was, why he got there, and wondering why there was a bunch of strange people that looked like him walking around. 

That last one was disorienting to anyone who wasn't used to it, let alone a kid.

"Here we go," the doctor mumbles to himself, speed jogging over to his clinic, calling out for Bim as he did. 

 

 

Dark stood in the meeting room for a few seconds after Dr. Iplier ran off to his clinic, just thinking. He couldn't get that look of fear from Bim out of his mind, replaying it over and over again until it burned. Sure, Bim's always been a little afraid of him, nearly all the Egos were, but that look in his eyes... it was like nothing he's ever seen before. Pure distraught and fear, all poured into those innocent young eyes. And those bruises and cuts...

All of it made the Ego wonder about Bim's life before it all happened. Who hurt him? Why was he so skinny, looking like he was about to starve to death? Where did he live?

No matter about that now. The doctor was right after all; with Bim a child running around in a strange place filled with things that could easily kill him, there was no telling what could happen. They had to find him before anything else happened. 

The thing was, Dark had a good idea of where the child was. Bim may have lost all of his memories of them and Ego Inc, but he was still Bim. He still thought, moved and reacted in ways that were similar to his adult counterpart. If he were to run and hide as an adult, Dark knew he would go to the same place as a child. 

Dark thought about all the times whenever Bim got upset or scared, how he would guard himself and become hunched over as if to make himself a smaller target. His voice would get quieter, everything about him trying to seem as compliant and non threatening as possible. The dark Ego always thought it was a weird reaction, seeing that for most people they would get defensive and snappy, but not Bim. The show host rarely ever raised his voice at anyone, avoiding eye contact with nearly everyone but a few. Once again Dark wondered about Bim's childhood, what caused him to act so carefree and lively one minute, and so docile and terrified the next.

The Ego walked out of the meeting room, pushing away his thoughts for now. He could always ask Bim later, when they found him. Right now, he had to make sure the boy didn't kill himself before he could turn back to normal. That said, Dark used his aura to teleport him to the place where he assumed Bim would be hiding. Like he said earlier, little Bim acted very similar to adult Bim, so they naturally would find comfort in the same things.

When Dark came out of the void and into the place he desired to be, he hummed to himself, admiring all the colors around him, all the exotic plants and flowers.

Of all the places for Bim to hide, his garden was definitely his safe place. As an adult, Dark would often find him here, tending to his plant and singing to himself when he thought no one was around. It  _was_ a lovely place, the brightest and best smelling in Ego Inc after all. The dark Ego walked through the rows and rows of plants, his dress shoes making clicking noises throughout the garden. He never once touched the plants, as much as he wanted to. He was afraid he would kill the plants with his touch, and he didn't want that. 

As he made his way through the third row of plants, the sound of someone sniffling and crying and whimpering came to his ears. Dark froze in his place, his clicking shoes becoming silent. After a few moment, he heard it again, quieter this time as the person attempted to stay quiet. There was no doubt in the Ego's mind that it was Bim, alone and confused.  

Bim was scared of him. That much was certain, seeing what happened in the meeting room. He would have to gain his trust somehow, make him see that Dark wouldn't hurt him, but that was going to be hard. Dark constantly tried to make it seem like he was someone not to be messed with, unless they wanted to have his wrath. He acted no different to Bim, and the child already had an unexplained fear of him. He never once looked at the other Ego's like he looked at Dark.

"Bim?" he called out gently, hoping he sounded friendly enough. "Are you alright, little one?"

He got no reply, which was kind of expected. Sighing to himself, Dark snapped his back before sitting down with his legs crossed. Perhaps the boy would see him as less intimidating this way. It would be uncomfortable for his back, but he could manage. 

"I promise, I'm not here to hurt you. I'm sorry I scared you... I didn't mean to."

More sniffling. Something shuffling around. Dark was tempted to find to source of the sound, but he stayed put. Bim had to come to him if this was going to go anywhere productive. For now he would let the boy do his own thing.

"Do I remind you of someone? I've been told that many of time," Dark continued. He didn't really know where he was going with this, but fuck it. It couldn't hurt.

"I bet you think I look like you as well. That's kind of true I guess, most of us, the ones you saw earlier, look similar to one another. We're not really related to each other in any way, but we kind of are at the same time. It's hard to explain," the Ego rambled. "You're one of them, you know. We're all like this big... family of sorts. A really messed up and odd family, but it's family. You know that better than anyone, don't you?" 

The kid was almost silent now. Dark took this as a good sign. He wondered if he should call Dr. Iplier so that he could see the kid, but decided against it. The kid could see that as a way of betraying his trust, and he did  _not_ want to drag a crying and screaming kid to the clinic. He was in for the long run.

"My name is Dark by the way. I'm the 'ringleader' here as some would say, trying to corral all the crazy people that run throughout this building. There's Wilford, Dr. Iplier, the Googles, Bing, Yandere, The Host, and a few others I can't think of off the top of my head. There are a  _lot_ of them though. 

"You've met all of them before, and you're good friends with a few as well. But you don't remember them for whatever reason, and we want to help you remember again. We also want to help you with a few other things as well; the doctor wants to clean those cuts on your arm, and I'm pretty sure Yandere is making you some food as we speak," Dark chuckled, thinking about the younger Ego mumbling to himself as he made food for the obviously underfeed Bim. Yan was affectionate like that, always giving people food to help make them feel better.

"I think that sounds nice, doesn't it? We want to help you Bim... but first you need to come out of hiding so that we can," the dark Ego purposefully paused, hoping to send the message to the kid. There was a little more shuffling at this, and Dark saw a cloth on one of the tables move, but did nothing to let Bim know he saw it. A single sniffle was heard, and much to Dark's surprise, a little boy came from under the table a few down from him, shy poking out his head.

The dark Ego made his expression soften, and gave a small smile to Bim. The child blinked owlishly at him with his large honey eyes, the slightest traces of fear laced in them. His dark hair was unkempt, something adult Bim would have never allowed to have happen, and from what little of his arms and legs he could see, it was clear that the boy was covered in dozens of scratch's, some which looked like they came from nails. 

Dark felt an unexpected twist in his heart when he noticed the cuts, the sudden urge to rip the person that would dare do this to a small child threatening to rip him up. Bim looked so  _terrified_ of  _everything_ around him, even the things that weren't even alive, as if he thought they would jump at him and attack. Dark knew that feeling all too well. 

The Ego held out his hand to show the child peace, keeping his position on the ground despite the increasing pain in his back. Bim's eyes flickered to it curiously, tilting his head. Slowly, bit by bit, Bim came from under the table, revealing his skinny and malnourished form, and step by step came closer to Dark. He was still guarded, looking for any sign that the Ego was lying, but he was still willingly coming to Dark, who waited patiently.

It took a good minute, but Bim was now right in front of Dark, hesitantly putting his hand in the Ego's. The dark Ego tried not to think about how frail and small his hand was, how he could have snapped it if he gripped too hard. It was amazing that this kid could run as fast as he did with such little food, and Dark also tried not to think about why that was. 

"Hello there, Bim," Dark said softly to not startle the boy, who blinked at him again. Now that he was closer, the Ego could see the redness of his eyes and the tear tracks that ran down his cheeks, and his heart clenched. 

"H-h-hi," the boy stuttered, his eye contact wavering, never looking him directly in the eye. His voice was so weak and thin, like the barest breeze on a consuming summer day. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

"Are you alright?" the dark Ego asked, hoping he wasn't pressing too far. He didn't know the boundaries for the boy yet, what not to ask and such. It seemed that he was in the clear, because Bim nodded slowly, shifting back and forth on his feet. His entire body was trembling, not from fear it looked like, but from sheer exhaustion and from cold. Dark's chest twisted with an instinct to pull the boy in his arms and protect him like some sort of mother bear. He had no idea where the instinct came from, but it was powerful.

"Do you want to sit down? You look tired," the words came out of Dark's mouth before he could process them, but it was too late. He was thinking he could bring the boy to Dr. Iplier's to get him fixed up, but Bim looked so  _tired,_ so tired that he could collapse any moment, and that was the last thing Dark needed right now. 

Bim's eyes went wider than they already were, pointing shakily at the dark Ego's lap, asking for unsaid permission. If it was anyone else in any other scenario, Dark had no doubt in his mind that he would have refused, but this wasn't any other time. This was Bim turned into a child, a child that looked so neglected and unloved that he could die any minute. And that weird motherly urge was becoming too strong to ignore at this point, so the Ego nodded, gently pulling the boy's hand closer and gilding him to sit on his lap. It was like he wasn't there, his body so light and airy. Dark placed one arm behind his back and around Bim's waist, securing him in place, while the other went over the boy's thin legs. The boy buried his head into his chest, sighing contently as his tiny hands gripped onto Dark's suit. 

Good God, he was so  _small,_ almost completely swallowed up against the Ego's form. All Bim's previous fear from before was gone, replaced with the want to snuggle and sleep it seemed. Dark expected to feel annoyed, but instead there was fondness, and a natural smile crossed his face. Without thinking, the dark Ego began running his fingers through the boy's hair, feeling the soft strands fall through them and across his fingertips. Bim melted further into Dark's hold at this, his breathing becoming deeper and slower with each minute that passed by. The dark Ego rocked him back and forth, humming gently as Bim went completely limp in his arms.

When was the last time the boy slept? The dark circles under his eyes reminded the Ego much of adult Bim and how he would stay up into the late hours of the night working on paperwork, claiming that he didn't feel tired despite the fact that he looked like he was about to collapse any moment. 

_Who would do this to a child?_

That was the thought that kept running through Dark's mind, but he couldn't answer that. Only the boy in his arms, fast asleep and curled against him, could. He found that he liked having something so small and fragile trusting him like this, feeling that they were safe. He hasn't had that in such a long time. 

Dr. Iplier could wait, Dark reasoned, shifting around so that he would be more comfortable on the hard floor. Bim never moved, letting the Ego maneuver him easily. Dark continued to run his fingers through his hair, cradling the child even closer.

"Don't worry, lovely child of mine," he whispered in Bim's ear. "You're safe with me."                                


	2. Welcome To Your Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy~

Dark stayed where he was for about an hour, rocking the boy back and forth as he slept. He was surprised with how much he enjoyed it, humming to Bim, holding him close and keeping him safe. But eventually, the pain in his back and knowledge that everyone else was searching for him convinced him to get up. His bones cracked and snapped into place as he stood, and the Ego flinched, thinking that the boy would wake up, but he never even shifted. Dark cradled him close, keeping Bim pressed firmly against his body as he began to walk, not comfortable enough to teleport anywhere.

When Dark exited the garden, he when on a search to find all the other Egos. After wandering around for a few minutes, the dark Ego decided the best course of action would be to go to Dr. Iplier's, after all, the doctor wanted to take an examination of the boy himself and wanted to know what was wrong.

Again he thought that they would only truly know when Bim told them.

The suited man came up on the little clinic within Ego Inc (which was used a lot more than anyone liked to admit) and tapped on the glass door with his foot, not sure how else to do it without putting Bim down. A few moments later, Dr. Iplier was at the door, eyes going wide when he saw the small child sleeping in his arms. Dark merely raised an eyebrow, silently asking the doctor to open the door and let him in. The other got the message, quickly opening the door and allowing Dark in, leading him deeper into the clinic, never saying a word.

They entered the main part of the clinic where Dr. Iplier did all of his examinations and procedures, some place that Dark didn't visit very often. He didn't like it when people poked at him to figure out what he was, so even if he was hurt, he stayed as far away from the clinic as possible. 

The doctor turned to him, a cautious air around him. "Where did you find him?" he asked softly to not disturb the sleeping child.

"In the garden," the dark Ego replied. "He was hiding under one of the tables."

Dr. Iplier furrowed his eyebrows together in confusion. "And... he was just... sleeping?"

Dark shook his head, a small smile coming to his lips. "I had to coax him out of hiding, and he looked so tired that well," he nodded his head to Bim curled in his arms. "This just kind of happened."

The doctor looked at him for several seconds, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You... managed to gain the trust of a child who an hour ago was afraid of you... and then he fell asleep while you were  _holding him?"_

"Look, I found Bim and that's all that matters. I thought you wanted to examine him and whatnot," but even as the suited Ego said that, he knew he didn't want to. He was really liking the warmth that came from Bim's body, liking the feeling of him breathing slowly, and just...  _being there._ It was like there was a magical spell on him or something.

The doctor nodded, eyes trailing to Bim with a sad expression. "He looks so small, you know? I don't even think he weighs 55 pounds," he told Dark, walking over to one of the tables that the suited Ego knew he put his patients, and followed him over. Dr. Iplier was about to say something else when there was a quiet cry coming from Dark's arms. Dark looked down to see tears pouring down Bim's cheeks, even as he slept. He was squirming around, whimpering and and scared of something unseen to the other Egos.

"He's having a nightmare," Dark exclaimed, knowing instantly that he would have to wake Bim up. No one should have to live with the monsters inside their head, especially someone so  _young._ "We have to wake him up."

The dark Ego swiftly placed the boy on the table Dr. Iplier got out, gently stroking his face and hair as he continued to cry out. "Shhhh little one, it's alright, you can get through it," he said softly, shaking his arm a little to try and get him to wake up. Bim's eyes fluttered momentarily, but the nightmare still dragged him under, more tears streaming down. 

"No... go away... go away," he whimpered, body flinching away from Dark. The Ego only brought him closer, whispering to Bim and wiping away his tears, hoping to awake him with his ministrations. It seemed to be slowly working, the boy's eyes fluttering more and more, opening little by little, tears starting to die down.

When Bim finally opened his eyes all the way, the honey iris's filled with unshed tears and confusion, Dark smiled, showing that he meant no harm. The boy lips trembled, and before the dark Ego could process it, Bim was latching onto him like a vice, arms wrapped tightly around his neck and legs around his chest, sobbing into his shirt, Dark instantly picked the child up from the table, sitting on it while wrapping his own arms around Bim, rocking him back and forth while he cried. He barely noticed his suit being soaked or Dr. Iplier's stunned expression, only focusing on the child in his arms, telling him everything was alright and that the nightmare, whatever he was dreaming about, wasn't real. He was safe with him.

Bim's tears gradually stopped, but his grip on Dark never loosened. It was silent for several minutes, and Dark thought it would be okay to talk. "Bim, little one, I'd like you to meet someone, okay? He's very nice and he wants to help you," the Ego told Bim gently. 

The boy's head looked up at Dark, a question in his eyes, and the dark personality, gestured with his head over to where the doctor was standing. Bim looked over to where Dark gestured, staring at the doctor with wide and curious eyes. Dr. Iplier smiled at him, the look of shock on his face erased. 

"This is Dr. Iplier, and he wants to take a look at you, alright? I promise he won't hurt you," Dark reassured, moving Bim to sit across his lap.

"Y-you won't leave... right?" the boy asked quietly, eyes darting from Dark to Dr. Iplier. 

"Of course not, Bim. I'll be right here the entire time."

The child slowly nodded, uncertainty for the doctor in his eyes, but the trust of Dark overpowering it. It all made Dr. Iplier wonder just how the other Ego gained the trust of a child that was so terrified of him not two hours ago so  _quickly._ It was almost amazing, especially since as far as the doctor knew, Dark has never interacted with a child like this in his entire life. Must be some natural parental instincts or something.

It took a while, but the two Egos got Bim to take off his shirt so that Dr. Iplier could start his examination. Both were shocked by what they found; old, ugly raised scars that crisscrossed on one another, purple and blue bruises against his deathly pale skin, counting every single rib on his chest with no problem. It was all disgusting, but not Bim. No, the disgusting thing was that someone  _did_ all of this to a  _child._ Someone beat him, cut him, starved him to near death until he couldn't move. Someone was the product of his nightmares, someone made him terrified of everything around him.

And right now, Dark was ready to murder the person that did it. He was ready to tear out their heart and eat it right in front of them, beating them until all of their bones were dust and Bim was free from their memory. But he couldn't. He had to stay with Bim to make sure he had someone to trust until he trusted everyone of turned back into an adult, whichever came first. 

The boy was obviously uncomfortable the entire time, even as Dr. Iplier patched up his injuries. It was like he could sense Dark's distress and never relaxed, afraid that he would suddenly lash out. The dark Ego hated that he made the child feel that way, but he couldn't help it. He was barely keeping his shell together as it is, Celine and Damien both plotting revenge. It was the first time they had agreed on something in  _ages._

Once Dr. Iplier was done with everything, he said firmly, "you need something to eat. Come with me and I'll show you where you can get some food."

Bim looked up at Dark with an almost awe like look on his face. "F-food?" he asked in disbelief, as if it had never been offered to him in his life. Dr. Iplier chuckled, saying yes, they would be getting food for him.

"By the time you're done with us you'll have put on a few pounds, don't worry," the doctor said, leading him and Dark out of the clinic and to the kitchen. Bim snagged Dark's hand, holding it tight as he walked right beside the dark Ego. 

The little boy looked around Ego Inc with curiosity, observing the many pictures that lined the walls, the multicolored doors they passed which happened to be the bedrooms, and at most, when Bing suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the hallway.

"Suh, dudes!" the android exclaimed, the B on his chest growing brighter as he saw little Bim. "You found the little rascal! Now how did you manage that?" Bing leaned down to the boy, a wide smile on his face. Dark sighed, already annoyed with the android's antics. Bim was clearly spooked by the other Ego getting in his face, stepping behind Dark and looking in between his legs with his honey eyes peeking through.

"Don't worry little guy, I don't bite!" Bing tried going around Dark to the boy, but stopped when the suited Ego growled at him.

"I think that's enough,  _Bing._ How about you go tell everyone else that we found Bim and to meet us as the kitchen, preferably without traumatizing him," Dark said through his teeth. The boy gripped his hand tighter, and again Dark was struck on just how easily Bim could read him. Was he always able to do this, or is it only when he was a child? 

Bing huffed, but complied with Dark's demands, walking away to go and find everyone he could. Dark nodded, continuing to walk as he guided Bim from behind his legs, Dr. Iplier right behind them.

"You see, little one, that was Bing. He may look and act tough, but he's harmless, I promise you. Besides, were nearly to the kitchen," the dark Ego took a deep breath, smelling the wonderful aromas that came from the direction of the kitchen. It looked like he was right when he said Yandere would be cooking, after all, he didn't know who else would be cooking with the various Asian spices he was smelling, sweet and spicy all at the same time. It was heavenly.

And Bim smelled it too. Dark saw him sniff the air much like a dog would, a bright smile lighting up his face, and he swore he heard a long, loud stomach growl that came from the boy. When was the last time he ate, let alone ate a  _full_ meal? The suited Ego imagined Yan's face when he would see Bim, how horrified and determined he would become, stuffing the boy with as much food as he could. It was one of the charms that came with the psychotic lover.

All three of them stepped into the open kitchen, and just like Dark predicted, Yandere was moving around furiously, frying things in pans, whisking up various sauces and rolling pieces of dough and rice into many dishes. He froze when he sensed all of them come in, (Yandere sense, as Bing liked to call it), turning towards them, brushing a strand of bright red hair out of the way.

"Dark-san and Doctor-san! I have food for when we find Bim-" his eyes suddenly found Bim's, taking in everything about him in seconds. How skinny he was. Holding onto Dark's hand. Cowering slightly at the world around him, unsure what he should be doing.

Yandere tsked, putting down his bowl he was carrying and grabbing a simple mochi roll that was finished and on the counter, going over to the three and thrusted the mochi at Bim. "Eat!" he commanded in a gentle yet firm way, smiling when the boy hesitantly took the food and looked at it uncertainly. "Go ahead, you must be hungry." 

Neither the doctor or the suited Ego said anything as they watched the interaction, Dark observing everything about Bim's reaction. 

"F-f-for... me?" Bim asked, a note of confusion and wonder in his voice. 

Yan laughed, running his fingers through Bim's hair smoothly to brush away the wavy strands. "Of course! Why wouldn't be?"

The boy looked up at Dark as if to ask permission, and the dark Ego gave a small nod, telling Bim that it was perfectly fine to eat the mochi.

The child looked at the food again before letting go of Dark's hand, taking a small bite, honey eyes lighting up. He took another and another, until the whole thing was gone in seconds, leaving nothing but the slight stickiness behind. The boy looked at Yan sheepishly, as if he expected the other to lash out or something, but the Japanese Ego only laughed again. Without any pause, Yan picked up the boy and put him on his hip, walking around with him like it was nothing, beginning to make food again. Both Dark and Dr. Iplier were surprised at this, expecting Bim to freak out or start crying, but neither happened. In fact, it seemed that Bim warmed up to Yan very easily, listening to the red head talk and looking on in fascination as he cooked. 

They both looked at each other, and after a moment, Dr. Iplier shrugged. "Well, it looks as if Bim is happy," Dr. Iplier gestured over to the smile on the boy's face and the small giggles that came through his lips as Yan would tickle him or show him something new. It was like the red headed Ego was an older sibling or something.

Dark couldn't help but feel a tug of jealousy when he saw just how little time it took for Bim to trust Yandere, jealous that the other Ego could make him happy within seconds. Oh well, he guessed it was good if the boy was trusting people more and more.

"Yes, I guess so. Shall we sit until the others get here?" Dark questioned, waving his hand at the table where everyone ate. The doctor simply nodded, going over to his usual seat at the table, while Dark took the head, much like he did with the meetings. 

For a period of time, Dark and Dr. Iplier watched as Yandere cooked with Bim, am aura of calm and peace falling over the kitchen. The redhead started humming, a sweet sound that floated through the rooms along with the amazing smell. Every once in a while, Yandere would give Bim a piece of food for him to eat telling him about the food and commenting that he needed to be fattened up. In return, the boy shyly asked about the other people that lived here, who they were, what they were like, the whole shaza. 

"You'll really like them, I know it!" Yan exclaimed as he started chopping up some vegetables. "They are your family, after all."

"M-m-my fam-family?" Bim tilted his head as if he's never heard the term. It made all three Ego's heart clench.

"Well of course!" Yan said, looking the boy right in the eye. "Let me be the first to welcome you home, Bim. We hope you like it here."

"Home..." Bim trailed off, wrapping his arms around Yandere. His eyes found Dark's, and he smiled, wide and with his teeth showing, honey eyes bright. 

"I like my new home."              

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Feel free to leave a comment.
> 
> ~Magical_Devil_Alex


	3. I Am Not Your Nightmare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya! I'm not sure when you'll get this, but it's back! Enjoy~

Within 20 minutes, all of the Egos were in the kitchen and Yandere was done cooking. You could see Bim shyly looking around at the others, still on the red haired Ego's hip as the last one to arrive, Bing of course, sat down at the table. Yan mumbled to himself in that weird language no one besides him understood, going over to Dark at the head of the table.

"You'll have to hold him so I can bring the food to the table," he told the dark Ego, placing Bim easily on his lap. The child instantly latched onto Dark, becoming even shyer as the Ego's started to stare, all still fascinated at the idea of the show host suddenly becoming a child. Wilford was the most curious of them all however, seeing that it was his spell that caused the whole thing to start in the first place. The mustached Ego fidgeted with his suspenders as he watched Bim, studying the bandages wrapped around his arms and how skinny his form was. He had heard from Bing that he was small, but he never imagined  _this._

And he also never imagined Dark with a child before, but here they were, the suited Ego easily putting his arms around Bim like it was the most natural thing in the world. It was like he didn't even notice anyone else at all.

King popped up from his seat, following Yan into the kitchen to help him bring in all the food he had made. It wasn't everyday the red head cooked, but when he did it was a treat. No one was sure if it was some part of the Asian culture, but Yan always made a  _ton_ of food, even for them. But hey, none of them were going to complain. Once everything was on the table (including silverware and plates) they all digged in. Bim watched all of the food in a wonder for several seconds before Dark gave him a plate filled with the various items. 

"For me?" he asked softly, looking at the noodles, rolls and vegetables on the plate. The dark Ego chuckled with a smile on his face, something almost no one in that room had ever seen him do willingly. 

The child picked up a fork, holding it in his hands awkwardly like he hadn't used one in a while. He stabbed a piece of what Dark thought to be zucchini, taking a bite and chewing it slowly, eyes going wide. He ate one of everything on the plate, and Dark could feel his heart soar from it. Perhaps they could get him out of this super skinny and malnourished state and get him healthier. He knew Dr. Iplier would be very happy with that. 

For the next few minutes, there was peace in everything. The only time there was peace like this was when everyone had food in their mouths, even Bing and Google who technically didn't even need to eat were enjoying the food. Bim ate more and more, and the suited Ego even had to stop him from completely devouring his plate in a minute, telling him to slow down and savour it. 

"So, when are we going to address the elephant in the room?"

Dark looked up, knowing that it was Wilford who asked the question. The mustached Ego had his eyebrows raised, still messing with his suspenders. The others mumbled to themselves, taking glances at the child on Dark's lap. Usually Dark would never let them see him this vulnerable and relaxed, but if he kept his cold facade, he was afraid little Bim would become scared of him again. 

"I think we've addressed it rather well, Wilford," the dark Ego stated, seeing Bim look up from his food to the others around him. He still looked rather shy to be in all of their attention, and he leaned back onto Dark, curling against him.

"Except for the part for when you were good with children."

Dark froze, suddenly not in his own body. He was in someone else's, looking through their eyes and not able to control his movements. They were looking at a small child who had a scrape on her knee, fat tears rolling down the girls cheeks.

"Oh, it's alright little one," the person cooed, kneeling down and picking the girl up. The child buried her head into the person's chest, gripping tightly.

"But it hurts Celly," the girl cried.

"But I promise it will get better," the other, Celly, countered, beginning to hum and rock back and forth. "It'll all get better." 

The next time Dark blinked, he was back at the dinning table in Ego Inc, everyone staring at him, including Bim. He looked down at the child, seeing his reflection in his honey eyes. 

"Are you okay bro? You blanked out for a minute there," came the concerned voice of Bing. The dark Ego took a deep breath, looking back to the rest of them.

"It doesn't matter. For right now we need to focus on keeping Bim safe until the spell wears off. Has anyone figured out how long it takes for the effects to reverse themselves?" the dark Ego asked, shifting the child in his arms into a more comfortable position. He didn't want to dwell on the memory that wasn't his own, a memory he never experienced. It would only make the pounding in his head more unbearable. 

"The Host believes that this particular spell will last about a week," said the monotone voice of the blind Ego from across the table. It was the first words he had directly said to anyone since Bim became a child, only mumbling narrations under his breath, and Dark had the feeling he knew Bim's past. He probably knew everyone's past before they became an Ego, but now that Bim was  _in_ that past in his mind and body, it was more than likely amplified. He would have to ask The Host about that later. 

The suited Ego nodded, Bim's hair tickling his chin, and he smiled without his own permission. It was probably Celine and Damien peaking through, making Dark soft and motherly, but for once, he found he didn't mind. Even with all of the Egos looking at him like he was on drugs or something he couldn't find it within himself to care about what they thought. 

"Where is he going to stay until then? I don't imagine we could just put him into his own room without one of us there with him," Dr. Iplier said, leaning back in his chair slightly. "Plus, I want to be able to change those bandages in a little while."

Without thinking, Dark replied with. "he can stay with me."

At that moment, all of the Egos knew. Something was  _seriously_ wrong with their leader, whether it be an illness or  _something,_ but never in a million years did any of them ever think that Dark would willingly look after a child, _especially_ if it was Bim. But none of them said anything, too afraid of how Dark would react to the question. Even if he was acting nicer than usual to a child didn't mean anything when it came to them, and even Wilford knew that. It was batter if they just let him be and figure it out on his own, like Dark always did.

The child tugged on Dark's suit, getting his attention again. "Dark I'm tired," he whispered, looking around nervously as if one of the Egos was going to jump out and attack him. A quick glance at the time revealed that it was nearly 10 o'clock, a  _lot_ later than the suited Ego anticipated it being. It was no wonder that he felt rather tired as well, seeing what kind of day they all had. 

Dark stood up, carrying Bim against him like Yandere did earlier. "Can you all clean everything up?" it was more of a demand than a question, but the Ego's still agreed, all watching him leave the kitchen. When their leader was gone, it was silent for a few moments, no one sure what to say. Bim being a child was still a shock to some of them, but it would have to be something to get used to. After all, he would be like this for at least a week according to The Host.

"I've never seen him act so gentle with someone before..." Yandere trailed off, starting to go into the kicten to clean up, a few others following. Wilford stared at the place where Dark exited, thinking to himself. What about Bim being a child made Dark act so... different? He knew it probably wasn't something he should be pondering as much as he was, but the mustached Ego couldn't help it. It reminded him of... something that he couldn't quite place, like a faded picture long forgotten. 

"Oh well. Might as well not think about the past," Wilford told himself, standing up from his chair and helping out the others, ignoring the tugging on his heart.

 

 

_There was someone crying. It was a baby, a child or something, someone young and helpless. Dark wandered the dark halls, trying to follow the sound only for it to change directions. It was frustrating, and it made his heart clench. He wanted to make the crying **stop,** wanted to sooth the child that was in pain, but he couldn't find them, no matter how hard he tried. _

_"Where are you?" he called out, but his voice sounded different. It wasn't **his** voice, it was too high and too feminine to be him. Then whose body was he walking around it if not his own?_

_The crying intensified, and Dark felt his eyes well with tears. "No no no," he whimpered, running now. "Where are you? Where are you? Where are you-?"_

Crying. Darkness. Something warm over his body. 

Dark's eyes slowly opened, processing the world around him. He was on something hard and unforgiving, his back screaming at him for laying down in that position. It was night time, the moon high in the sky and the sound of a lone owl in the distance. 

He had a dream, and weird one at that.

But the crying, that wasn't a dream. He could still hear it clearly in the room, coming from hid bed next to him. There was only one person it could be.

Bim.

He had let the child sleep in his bed for the night, not sure where else to put him, and decided that he would simply be on the floor. His broken body protested until he feel asleep, but now he was awake, and Bim was crying. It made him think of the eerie dream, but he pushed it aside, sitting up, bones snapping back into place as the blanket on him fell off. The child didn't seem to notice him, still whimpering and crying pitifully, and Dark's mind went back to earlier that day when he and Dr. Iplier had wake Bim up from a nightmare. Was it possible that that's what was happening again? 

The dark Ego stood up, seeing the child curled up into the smallest ball possible in is bed, tears rolling down his face. He looked much too small, shivering despite all of the covers and fear etched into his very being. "Bim," Dark whispered, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. The child whimpered, his body jerking away from the Ego's touch like it was fire. 

"Little one, it's me," Dark tried again, sitting on the bed and reaching for the boy. When he touched Bim this time, his eyes flew open, more tears falling down his face, eyes cloudy with the depths of sleep. He flinched away again, squeezing his eyes shut and hunching over as of to make himself smaller.

"N-no Dad don't h-hurt me, I-I promise I-I'll be g-good," the child sobbed, every inch of him trembling like a leaf. Dark froze in his place when he heard those words, age old anger that he didn't know existed hitting him straight in the face.

_A little boy on the ground, nose covered in blood and face in bruises. Over him was a man, face distorted beyond recognition, with a look of murder in his eyes. In his hand was what looked like a belt, and on it was the same bright blood that was on the boy's face. A girl that looked much like the boy was running to his side, shielding the smaller with her body._

_"_ _No Dad! Don't hurt Damien, don't hurt Damien, it was me! Please don't hurt him!"_

Dark took a shaky breath, trying not to let his aura react so that he wouldn't scare Bim more.

"I'm not your Dad, Bim," he soothed, getting closer. "It's me, Dark remember? We met yesterday, in that garden with all the pretty flowers. I took you to see Dr. Iplier to get a check up and then you cooked with Yan. Do you remember that?"

The boy glanced up, honey eyes still swimming in tears, but there was some sort of understanding. His body was still trembling horribly, but he allowed the dark Ego to get closer.

"D...D-Dark?" he hushed like his name was forbidden.

The Ego smiled softly, reaching out his hand again. "Yes little one, that's me. Do you want a hug?" he asked, opening his arms up more. He barely got the words out of his mouth before Bim was on him, skinny arms wrapping around him like a vice. Dark was fine to return the hold, pushing down the memory that wasn't his back into the corners of his mind before he lashed out. He caressed Bim's hair, hummed in his ear as they rocked back and forth, feeling the child's crying slowly crawl to a stop. 

"I-I had a n-nightmare," whispered Bim, looking up at Dark. The Ego's rage flared in him, wanting with all of his being to be able to go back in time and tear the source of the child's nightmare's to shreds, but he contained himself. He could worry about that later.

"Was it the same nightmare from earlier, when you were in Dr. Iplier's office?" questioned Dark, keeping his voice as gentle as possible. He couldn't help but think about how Bim was always afraid of him whenever he woke up from the nightmares, that one fact nagging at him. Didn't the boy trust him?

Bim nodded, rubbing at his eyes with a yawn. 

"I have nightmares too," Dark admitted, not quite sure why he was telling this to a child. He's never told anyone about the nightmares that came to him most nights, how they weren't even his own. But now, it just felt right.

"Really?" asked Bim in a stunned voice, as id he could never imagine someone like him ever having something to fear. The dark Ego smiled at his expression, chest warming with something he couldn't place. He nodded in an answer, and the two stayed silent for a few minutes, just taking in each other.

"Could... you... sleep with... me?" 

Dark blinked in surprise, making sure he didn't just imagine the words that just came from the boy's mouth. Bim was shy again, not looking at the Ego and attempting to make himself look  smaller. Bim always did that whenever he was an adult and was nervous about something. 

Perhaps it was the source of him nightmares that made him this way.

"Of course I'll sleep with you," Dark reassured. He began to guide them both back onto the bed, Bim still holding onto him tightly, bringing the covers over them. The child immediately snuggled in, molding himself against Dark's chest while the Ego carded his hand through his hair. 

"Goodnight, Dark," said the muffled voice of the boy, tone laced with sleep and content. 

"Goodnight, little one," replied Dark, listening to Bim's breath become deeper and slower until he was fast asleep in his arms. He listened for several minutes, the sound gradually lolling him into the hands of sleep.

"I promise you, Bim, I am not your nightmare," the dark Ego said into the room, more for himself than anything. He desperately wished he could magically cure the boy of his nightmares, but he knew his powers could only do so much.

In the next few moments, the bundle of warmth in his arms finally dragged him into sleep, where his dreams were empty, deep, and dark         

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pretty sure I won't be able to post anything for a while after this, but don't worry, I'll be back!


	4. Just Ask Him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, I'm finally back, and I have many things in store for you all! For this fic I plan on their being one more part after this, so yeah. Enjoy!

For the next week, this was life at Ego Inc. Bim came to know every Ego and not to fear them, even Wilford and The Host, who he took the longest to warm up to. Dark still remained his favorite, however, sleeping with the dark Ego every night. This became Dark's favorite parts of the day, when they would sleep together, yes, but it was also nice whenever they were just in the same room with each other. The suited Ego hasn't felt as relaxed or happy in such a long time, or ever in that matter. Something about this younger version of Bim made Dark weak all around his sharp edges.

Bim seemed to do this with every other Ego as well. Whenever Dr. Iplier was stressed after a long day at the clinic, all the boy would have to do was sit on his lap and ramble off about his own day, making the doctor smile and laugh softly at his stories. He would even bring him food when Dr. Iplier was in his clinic for extended periods of time.

With Yan he spent  _lots_ of time in the kitchen, learning everything the red head had to offer. While for the most part it was a fun learning experience for the boy, there had been a few times where Dark has entered the kitchen only to find it practically destroyed, Yan and Bim in the middle of it all, laughing to themselves. After that would be hours of cleaning, involving pretty much all of the Egos and three bottles of bleach.

Bing and Google were surprisingly good entertainers, Bing having someone to show off his skateboarding tricks to and Google showing Bim virtual worlds that he made. The boy thought that them being androids was the coolest thing ever, and at one point even said that he wanted to become one himself (though they all profusely agreed that that would be a bad idea.)

King was more than happy to show the boy the wonders of the outside, teaching him to climb trees and introducing Bim to his subjects. Bim was fascinated with the squirrels that did everything that King commanded them to do, and all and all, he just loved being high up in the trees, even if it did give Dark a heart attack half the time. 

The Host was an interesting story to say the least. At first, Bim was absolutely terrified of him, avoiding the blind Ego at all costs. It wasn't until the boy found The Host doing one of his broadcasts, telling stories to all of his listeners with his smooth voice that Bim's fear lessened. Now, the boy begged for stories from The Host, mostly ones of happiness and fantasy. It gave the blind Ego a surprising amount of joy to have Bim listen to his stories, usually only having unseen listeners that couldn't even see him.

Wilford was another one that took a while, but the second Bim saw him teleport around in the blink of an eye, he was wonderstruck. The mustached Ego basically became the dad (Dark was not happy with this comparison) to the boy, though everyone agreed not to leave Wilford alone with Bim for too long. You never knew what the mustached Ego would do, and the last thing they all needed was for Bim to be traumatized with some crazy murder spree that Wilford went on.

So all and all, everything was great. That is, if you ignored the obvious signs that Bim was abused in some shape or form. You would have be a total moron and devoid of all emotion not to notice it. Dark already knew this, of course, but no one else did for the first day. 

They all found out quickly. Bim had been in Dr. Iplier's clinic with Dark, getting his bandages changed, when Wilford had suddenly popped into the room unannounced, twirling one of his many knives in his fingers. Dark and the doctor didn't even flinch at this, having grown accustomed to the manic Ego's random appearances and disappearances. Bim however, did not understand where Wilford had just came from, just seconds before talking to Dr. Iplier about who knows what. His honey eyes fluttered, snapping to Wilford fast enough to nearly give the doctor whiplash.

Dark sighed. "What do you need, Wilford?" he asked, not ready to deal with the mustached Ego this early in the morning. Wilford chuckled, hearing the tiredness in the dark Ego's voice. It was rather odd to hear it, especially since it was nearly 7:30 and Dark was normally up way before then. What Wilford didn't know is that the suited Ego had the best sleep he's had in years, his broken bones never once shifting and his dreams filled with nothing but black. When he was woken by Bim saying that he needed to use the bathroom, he was still in that deep sleep, and his mind still hadn't fully woken up. 

Wilford passed the knife from one hand to another, smiling brightly at Bim whose eyes were still glued to him. "I just came to see Bim! Is that so much to ask?" he questioned, his loud voice filling the clinic.

Dr. Iplier rolled his eyes, finishing up the last of Bim's bandages. The boy was already starting to gain some weight from last night's meal, and his scars were healing up a lot quicker than he expected them to. Bim was still malnourished to say the least, but that would soon change if he had anything to say about it.

"You can come say hello without popping in here with no warning," Dr. Iplier said simply, not noticing how Bim's eyes watched the knife in Wilford's hands. It was almost like he was hypnotized by it, but you could seen the fear if you paid close attention, which neither Dark or the doctor were doing at the moment. They see Wilford with it all the time, so why should they worry about it? 

"But that makes it less fun!" Wilford exclaimed. "Plus, it would take  _so_ much longer to walk in here when I can just be here in a jiffy."

Dr. Iplier shook his head, mumbling something to himself. "Well, I'm all done now. Make sure to get a big breakfast, alright?" the doctor ruffled the boy's hair gently, smiling at him, pausing when he saw Bim's eyes glued to Wilford. He followed the boy's gaze, seeing what he was so transfixed on: the knife. Dr. Iplier glanced over at Dark, wondering if he noticed it as well, but the dark Ego probably couldn't tell his left from his right at the moment. His eyes drooping and glazed, shoulders slumped and attention off into space. 

"Hey Wilford? Why don't you put the knife away, alright?" Dr. Iplier suggested. This wasn't a time to freak out, he thought. Just keep calm and defuse whatever situation that was building up. Bim clearly didn't like the knife for whatever reason, so it was best for it to get out of sight.

But the mustached Ego didn't get the memo, apparently. "Why though, doc? It ain't gonna hurt nobody." He threw the blade into the air, catching it easily with his other hand. Bim tensed when he did this, and that was all Dr. Iplier needed to solidify his reasoning.

"Wilford," he said firmly. "Put the knife away." It was now that Dark was snapping out of whatever daydream he had been in. He took one look at the boy and Wilford, assessing everything in moments. 

"Wilford, I suggest you do what Dr. Iplier says," Dark told him, slightly stepping in between the mustached Ego and the boy. He didn't know why Bim was spooked by the blade, but he be damned if it took the boy having a full out panic attack for Wilford to see that. His aura cracked a little, just enough for a warning. Wilford stared at him for a long moment, looking Dark right in the eye, seeing just how serious he was being.

"Okay, okay," the mustached Ego finally mumbled, placing the knife it it's holster and out of sight. Bim instantly became more relaxed after this, and afterwords the dark Ego made sure to tell everyone in the building to not have any type of blade around Bim at any time, unless of course, he was in the kitchen with Yan. For whatever reason he didn't mind this, when the knife was in his hand and in his control, but if it was someone else, he had some sort of issue with it. Dark couldn't exactly figure out why, but he had his theories. 

They also found out the hard way that Bim didn't like it whenever they changed their voices into a deeper tone. This was discovered when he was with Bing and Google, and the androids were messing around with their settings. Bim was watching them and calling out things they could do, change their hair color, skin tone, and voices. The boy giggled heartily when Bing suddenly sounded like a girl, voice high pitched and ringing. 

"Come on, Googs!" Bing cheered in his now feminine voice. "You try!"

Google grumbled to himself, already having green skin and mohawk hair. It was clear he was done with this bullshit, but for he couldn't stop himself from following Bim's instructions. It wasn't that the boy was controlling him so to speak, but his puppy eyes were too damn good. 

And those puppy eyes were the same ones he was being given right now.

Well fuck.

"Fine." Google went into his settings, finding the voice changer. He set it to the deepest it could go, the opposite of what Bing did, wondering what his voice would be like.

"Happy now?" the android asked, startling himself with how deep it was. While Bing busted out laughing, Bim's entire form froze, eyes wide and glazed. "Bim?" 

Google walked closer to the boy, Bing hardly able to see this with how hard he was laughing. Bim flinched as if he had been slapped, stumbling back and away from Google. The other android wiped the synthetic tears from his eyes, watching in confusion at Bim's reaction.

"What's wrong, dude?"

Bim didn't seem to hear him, his honey eyes still far off. Google tried again, only to be met with something he didn't expect.

"Bim?"

Within a second, the boy was gone, running off to who knows where. Both Google and Bing changed everything back to their normal states quickly before running after Bim, calling out to him much like they had the first day Bim had become a child. It took two hours, nearly every Ego and Dark singing a little lullaby to get Bim out of hiding, and for everyone to agree to not make their voices deeper. Much like with the knife, no one was sure why the boy didn't like it, but they weren't about to ask either.

This child, they realized, had never felt real love. He didn't fully understand that none of the Ego's would hurt him if he did something wrong, like drop a plate or even trip over something. It was embedded in his mind that he would be punished for messing up, well,  _anything_ and that made a few things harder to do than others. Like at meals, for example. It took him two days before he stopped asking if he could start eating once everything was on the table, and even then he had to be told to eat more (usually by Dr. Iplier) if he was still hungry.

And then there was his personality as well. Bim wasn't like most children the Ego's had ever met; quiet, skittish and fearful to try new things. It was almost scary with how much he was like older Bim, stuttering when he was scared, shrinking back whenever someone got too close, and his blatant fear for anything that was too sharp. Something was wrong here, but the thing was, no one knew what.

Now, believe it or not, the vast majority of the Ego's were not idiots when it really counted. They understood that since Bim was now a child and had all he had was his childhood memories, that something happened to him as a child to make him think and act this way. 

And out of all of them, Dark was the most determined to figure it out. So on the night before the deaging spell on Bim was supposed to wear off, once the boy was fast asleep and showed no signs of waking up, the suited Ego went to go find The Host. The blind Ego more than likely knew everything about the boy, even if he never said anything about it. And despite Dark's respect of personal space and secrets, something about this whole thing kept nagging at him. Perhaps it was the sudden burst of memories from Damien and Celine that was bugging him, but either way, he wanted to know. 

Dark's shoes clicked through the hallways, the outside shown through the windows revealing that it was nearly midnight and that all of the others were asleep. He knew that The Host's radio show went on till about this time, so it was the perfect time to get him alone and get some answers.

The Dark Ego opened the door to the library and stepped inside, the carpet muffling his shoes. He could hear the faint sounds of someone talking into the nothing and followed the sound, knowing that it was The Host. He was in the middle of the library, the tall bookshelves around the blind Ego reminding Dark of some fantasy game Mark would play. It seemed he was just wrapping up his show, because just as Dark stopped a few feet behind him, the microphone was switched off. Silenced filled the space between them for a few moments before The Host said anything.

"Does Dark need anything?"

The suited Ego put his hands behind his back, an old and rather odd habit of his, but a soothing one anyway. "I think you know what I came here to ask."

The Host stayed where he was, facing away from Dark and tilted his head. "Dark means about Bim? Where he came from and why he acts the way he does?"

Dark didn't reply. What was there to confirm, anyway? The blind Ego knew he was coming here long before Dark ever did. He was the only one that could give him what he needed.

"Is Dark so sure he wants to know about Bim's past? After all, he cannot deal with his own," The Host told him, and the suited Ego couldn't help but feel like it was a low blow. Of course the blind Ego would know about the memories, why wouldn't he?

"That's different," Dark said with a low growl. But even then he knew it was a lie. 

"Dark knows as well as The Host does that it's not. If he is so interested in Bim's past, why doesn't Dark ask the boy himself?"

Dark opened his mouth to reply, but all at once, he wasn't in the library any more. He was in a large room with a chandelier casting light all over the dark walls, a spiraling staircase and painting's he remembered all too well around him. With no control over his body he stepped forward, the giggling of a child coming from his lips. 

_"Celine!"_ the child called out.  _"Mark! William! Come out come out wherever you are!"_

The child ran around the mansion of a house, going through the pool, yard, and many bedrooms, all bringing back unwanted memories that he never had. Dammit, why was he forced to continuously relive these moments he never experienced? And why  _now?_ After all these years, why now?

The child never did find the ones he was looking for. Instead, he ended up crying in the middle of the room he first came from, crying for his friends that hid too well.

Dark gasped, being thrown back into the present with brutal force. There were tears burning at his eyes, body trembling weakly and The Host was now face to face with him. The blind Ego had what Dark assumed to be a look of concern on his face, but it was hard to say with The Host. He was just as good of an actor as Dark was, maybe even better since he had no eyes to give himself away. 

The Host cautiously went to put a hand on the dark Ego's shoulder. "Is Dark alright-?"

"You damn well know the answer to that question," Dark snapped, jerking back and away from the other and wiping the tears threatening to fall. "Now, can you give me a straight response or am I just going to have to leave?"

The Host gave him a hard look (well, you know what he means) for several seconds. It lasted so long that Dark took it as an answer and turned on his heel, ready to walk right out of there and away from The Host's nonexistent gaze that burned into him, when he heard the other say, "just ask him." Dark froze in his spot at this, but refused to face the blind Ego. Just ask Bim. Just ask a young boy who was terrified of his own shadow half the time and was about to turn back into his normal adult self.

"I don't think I can," Dark whispered, walking out of the library without waiting for a response. He had been hoping for  _something,_ what that something was, however, he didn't know anymore. He wanted answers on Bim's past, that much was clear, but what else? An explanation for his visions? Reassurance that he was still the hard and emotionless leader he had been for so long? Proof that Bim never changed him? He didn't know.

Dark sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. Why did this whole thing have to make his brain want to melt? Everyone else seemed to get over it, realized that their lives would be drastically different for a while... but not him. Every time he thought about Bim turning back into an adult again his heart clenched and more memories tried to claw their way in. 

Tomorrow. Tomorrow Bim would go back to normal, and he's never get an answer to any of his questions.

_"Just ask him."_

Oh, if only it was that simple. 

Dark opened the door to his bedroom, seeing the boy curled around the blankets in a little ball, breaths deep and even. The suited Ego climbed in without thinking about it, pulling the covers around him and pulling Bim closer. The boy burrowed into his chest, sighing contently before continuing his sleep. Dark wondered what he was dreaming about. Something nice and happy, he hoped.

His heart squeezed again, but the dark Ego ignored it. Tomorrow, Bim wouldn't be like this anymore. Tomorrow, Dark's purpose for Bim would be gone forever. Did his childhood memories still haunt him as bad as they do now? How much had all of the Ego's missed because they simply didn't care until all of this happened? Would they have ever known if Wilford had never put that stupid spell on Bim in the first place?

He didn't know. He didn't  _want_ to know. 

Dark closed his eyes, letting the darkness consume his mind. Tomorrow, it would all change, but for now, he would hold his boy in his arms as long as he could.


	5. You'll Never Feel Unloved Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok everyone, this will be the last chapter of this little fic! I hope you enjoy! Oh, and by the way, this chapter has a lot on abuse and a few other darker themes. If you're squeamish about those things, I recommend you don't read this.

It happened during breakfast. Bim's transformation, that is, and honestly Dark was glad that it happened then and not overnight. He wasn't sure what he would have done if he would have woken up to see adult Bim suddenly in his arms. He probably would have started crying, as much as he would never admit to it. Damn Celine and Damien and their emotions.

When he did wake up that morning to see Bim still a child, for a few moments he had hope that maybe he would stay that way forever. But the immediate guilt after thinking that was strong, so he pushed it as far back as he could, as hard as it was. He did his best to make the day go along as normal, waking the boy up when it was time for breakfast, saying good morning to the Ego's that had also showed up. He tried not to give away what he was feeling, seeing that everyone knew that today was supposed to be the day Bim turned back. He wasn't sure how well he did on that regard. It was like every part of the suited Ego was in breakdown or panic, his normally calm composure constantly threatening to collapse under him. It was Hell.

Dark, quite honestly, was relieved when Bim finally changed back. He wasn't sure how much more he could have taken before he snapped.

It wasn't dramatic or anything like the transformation was. All Dark knew was moment he walked into the kitchen to get a cup, then next he walked out to see adult Bim standing there with the most confused looked on his face. He looked the exact same as he had before he was turned into a kid, the same suit, same partially slicked back hair, and his glasses were in the same position. It was like nothing ever happened at all.

Did he still have those scars? Was he still as skinny? Did knives still cause him to panic as much, or had he learned to shove it down and to not acknowledge it? 

"You're back," was all the dark Ego could say, not trusting himself to say anything else. At that moment, Dr. Iplier walked in with a cup of coffee in hand, eyes going wide with shock when he saw Bim.

"Bim!" the doctor yelled, nearly dropping his cup as he ran over to the show host. Dark simply watched as Dr. Iplier mothered over Bim, asking him various questions about his health and how he felt and whatnot. Bim fumbled with his words, saying that he was fine, but the doctor didn't have any of it. He pretty much started dragging Bim to his clinic, saying he wanted to run tests to see if he was really fine. By then Yan had joined the party, asking a million questions a second. The poor show host could only stand there as he bombarded with more attention and concern than he's ever had in his entire lifetime.

It was only when Wilford showed up that things calmed down slightly, the mustached Ego telling Yan and Dr. Iplier to calm down and give Bim some space. "It's rather disorienting and confusion to come out of a spell like that, you know," he added.

The other two Ego's did step back, the doctor still mumbling about tests and other things. The show host walked to where Dark had been moments before, no one to be found. Bim just stood there, the memories of what had happened running a million miles an hour in his brain. The singing to comfort him, the protectiveness, everything.

Why?

Dr. Iplier placed a hand on his shoulder, as if he could sense Bim's question. "I know you probably want to talk to Dark, Bim, but I really do need to see if you're alright. You were hit by a spell that we don't entirely understand, and I'd rather not pretend that nothing could have happened, alright?"

The show host nodded slowly, thinking back to his childhood memories here. It was odd, the way they fit into his life. One moment he was here, the next he wasn't, back into his normal Hell without another thought. Shit, at the time he thought it was all some sort of dream, a wonderful dream that he had to wake up from. Just another fantasy that he couldn't possibly hope to live in.

Bim stared at the spot where the suited Ego once was. The last thing he could remember while he was here... was Dark holding him like a lifeline, as if he could protect Bim from all the horrors of the world. As a kid he had never felt so  _loved..._

There were tears burning in his eyes now, and he shook himself to try and push them back. No, he refused to dwell on his past and what had happened. Looking back would only make things worse. 

The show host let the doctor lead him to the clinic, hardly paying attention to the world around him. He didn't notice Bing and Google, King, anyone as they said their hellos to him. All he could feel around him were Dark's arms, securing him and loving him. 

It seemed that for those moments, the feeling of his dad breathing down his neck and slicing at his arms had finally left his memory.

 

 

He was in another vision, that much Dark knew. He also knew he was Damien, a teenage version of Damien that is. 

He was walking around the manor from before, but this time, he wasn't playing hide and seek. He was too old for that now. But what was he doing? Were there tears on his face? It felt like it, the slightly wet feeling on his cheeks and salt on his tongue confirmed that much, but why had he been crying?

Damien looked down at his hands, which he had been cradling to his chest as if to protect them. Dark knew this whole thing wasn't actually happening, that it wasn't real, but seeing what he was seeing right now made him want to vomit on the floor. Damien's hands were covered in deep, welling cuts, the meat of his palm hanging loosely. Blood poured from the wounds, dripping to the floor below like breadcrumbs. 

The boy shook and trembled, sniffling as he put his shredded hands back to his chest, which must have been covered in crimson blood. He walked into a room, a room Dark had surprisingly never seen before. It was a smaller room compared to the rest of the house, but it was still grand and beautiful. 

But that's not what Damien was focused on. All of his attention was on the grand piano, right in the middle of the room. It looked freshly polished and loved, and the boy went straight for it, sitting down on it's bench. Why in the world he did that Dark didn't know, seeing that there was no way Damien could ever play piano with his hands in this condition.

Damien didn't seem to think that was the case. With no hesitation he started playing, or at least,  _tried_ to start playing. The second his fingers began to move on the keys he yelped, and Dark could feel the white hot pain going through his hands. The boy gritted his teeth, blinking away the tears, and tried again. His once skillful fingers stuttered on the piano, his hands too damaged to play anything correctly. Wave after wave of pain went through his whole body, but he refused to stop, even as tears blurred his vision and the notes created a sour chords. 

He finally yelled out at the top of his lungs, turning his hands into fists and slamming them down on the piano with all the power he had. Damien started sobbing, barely able to see the blood that stained the keys or hear the quick footsteps dashing into the room with him. Arms that he knew all too well wrapped around him, whispering soothing words into his ear.

Celine. It had to be her. She rocked her brother back and forth, telling him that it would be alright and everything would be okay. Damien wasn't sure if he believed her, but he really needed someone to comfort him right now.

"Let's get you patched up, okay?" she said gently, her words swimming together in her brother's ears. 

Damien nodded, still gripping her dress like it was a lifeline, not caring for the stinging in his hands. Celine carefully took away his hands from her dress, leading him away from the bloodied piano. The one he failed to play.

Dark blinked. He was in his own body again, not Damien's, not Celine's, not anyone's but his own. He was sitting down on something, something small and rectangular. A quick glance up showed that he was at the piano in Ego Inc, a place where he rarely went due to the effect it had on the two beings that lived within him. So why was he here now?

The suited Ego studied the keys. They were so polished that he could see his reflection in them, his hideous, ugly grey reflection, showing the corpse he really was. Dark always tried to avoid mirrors at all costs, and seeing this was a stark reminder of why.

Stupid Celine and Damien. Stupid memories, stupid feelings, stupid Bim, stupid  _everything._ God, why couldn't everything just be  _simple?_ Simple to take down Mark, simple to block every emotion, simple to just be _alive?_

The piano seemed to mock him, knowing every secret that lies within his body.  _I know you're weak,_ it said.  _Everyone knows you're weak, all for puny and breakable Trimmer. What a joke._

No wonder he never came to this god damned room.

Dark pushed back the chair he was sitting in, ready to leave the room and block it all, when the door opened. His head snapped to the door, not wanting to deal with some Ego's bullshit that needed  fixing.

"What do you want?" he snapped harshly, aura whipping around him, before immediately regretting his words. Because there in the doorway, stood none other than Bim Trimmer. 

The show host cringed back from Dark, gripping the door as if he was about to dash out. It was clear he had just come from Dr. Iplier's clinic, the smell of antiseptic and that odd hospital smell that the dark Ego never liked coming from Bim. The show host began to close the door, but Dark jumped up, calling out, "wait!"

Bim froze in his spot, eyes wide and slightly fearful. It gave Dark deja vu from when he first turned into a child. He brought back his aura, trying to look less threatening, and it occurred to him that he's never in his life done that. His goal was always to look as intimidating as possible, yet here he was, doing his best to back off and make Bim feel more comfortable.

"I..." Dark started, not sure what to say. It was just then he noticed Bim's eyes, how much duler they were than when he was a child. How all of his waning innocence was snatched from him by one way or another. 

Bim watched him cautiously with those eyes, still ready to bolt at a moments notice. Dark raised his hand as if to offer it, but then put it back down, not sure what to do with it. The awkward silence was beginning to be uncomfortable, neither sure what to say or do to break it.

"Can... can I come in?" asked Bim, so quiet it was almost nonexistent. He looked so uncertain, so afraid of Dark lashing out like he was about to before. 

"I... yes, come in," Dark finally said, coughing into his arm to get the frog unclogged from his throat. Bim stepped forward, letting go of the door and letting it shut behind him. The click of it shutting rang through the room, highlighting the consuming silence around the two Ego's. Dark stayed standing, not sure of he should sit down or not. He felt like he wasn't sure of anything anymore. Bim took all of that away.

"I wanted to talk to you," the show host began, shifting from foot to foot. "After... what happened this week. I remember but Dr. Iplier filled me in on it anyway."

Dark nodded, clenching and unclenching his fists. "I wasn't sure if you wanted to see me or not. After all. we've never had the best relationship with one another." 

"I... I was wondering if week could talk about it?" Bim's voice cracked a little at the end, but Dark pretended he didn't hear it. He just nodded again, but didn't make any other moves besides that. He didn't want the show host to feel like he had to do this, but at the same time the dark Ego was expecting it. It wasn't like you could put the events of the past week aside like it never happened at all.

Dark took a deep breath. "Sure. What do you want to say?"

Bim hesitated. He wasn't even sure he would get this far, thought that Dark would simply forget about him like it never happened and things would just go back to normal. Yet here he was, willing to talk to Bim about it. 

"I wanted to thank you, first of all, for... taking care of me I guess is the best way to put it. Thanks for not just leaving me to my own devices. Not that I think you would have, of course," the show host quickly added, seeing the expression on the suited Ego's face changed into something he couldn't place. 

"You don't need to thank me for that, Bim," Dark said gently, surprising Bim to say the least. Dark rarely addressed him by his first name like that. It was always Trimmer or some other nickname meant to insult him. Why was he being so nice to him all of a sudden? "I think I should thank you too."

Bim furrowed his eyebrows at that. "Thank me for what?"

The dark Ego opened his mouth, only to close it again like a fish out of water. He looked so concentrated on something that Bim couldn't place, even if he could ever read Dark's expressions. The man was forever an enigma to him, no matter how many years they've known each other.

"Just thank you. I don't know what I'm thanking you for just," he swallowed, looking the show host right in the eye. "Thank you."

Bim felt some of the tension in his form melt away gradually. This was going  _so_ much better than he thought it would, but now it was time that he asked the questions he came here to ask.

"Why did you care for me so much?"

Dark's eyes became sad, as if that was the exact question he had been waiting for. It was the main thing that's been on Bim's mind since he turned back into an adult and he looked back on his memories as a child. He couldn't stop thinking about how tenderly Dark held him, how he defended Bim when the others became too much, helping Bim fall asleep and telling him things he's never told any other Ego. Telling him that he had nightmares.

"I don't know why, exactly. It was just for whatever reason... it was like instinct in a sense. I just wanted to hold you and tell you that everything would be alright, just like Celine would tell-" he cut himself off suddenly, just realizing what he was saying.

Bim stepped forward, confused about what the other was talking about. "Who's-"

"Please," Dark hushed. "Forget I said anything about that," he sighed again, running his fingers through his hair. 

The show host gulped, studying the distressed look on Dark's face. He didn't know who Celine was, but whoever it was, she must have been important to him in some way. Perhaps she was someone he knew before he became an Ego, and he wanted to ask, but like Dark asked, he dropped that part. Instead, he focused on the other part.

"You had an instinct to protect me?"

Dark chuckled lowly, a small smile crossing his features. "I know, sounds impossible, right? That a heartless uncaring monster like me could ever care for anyone, much less a child," he ended bitterly. "But that's what happened. They all saw it, all of the Ego's. They must have thought I lost my mind, and to be honest, I don't think they're wrong." He got closer and closer to Bim with each word, but the show host didn't cower back like he thought. He wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. "Of all things to break down my walls, it was  _you,_ a child that ran away from me at first sight. Who would have guessed?

"But there were others things as well, the things I started to notice about you as time went on. How you hated whenever someone had a knife pointed at you, or when you ran away when Google's voice went deep, the way you become fearful when you do something wrong. I never noticed it before, but it's nearly exactly what you do as an adult, and for whatever reason, that got me thinking. It got me thinking about how you get uncomfortable around Yan and Wilford whenever they start to go into one of their phases, how you try to please everyone as much as possible and how," he paused, the next words barely coming out. "How afraid you are of  _me."_

Bim stared at those black eyes and how intense they were, the raw emotion and weakness Dark was showing him. 

And Dark too, saw the fear that he had described. Yes, it wasn't nearly as present as it usually was, but it still bothered him. It was weird that a week ago he wouldn't have cared if Bim was afraid of him or not, Hell, he would have  _thrived_ on knowing Bim was scared of him. But things were different now.

"And I come to a realization after all this. I've realized that  _I don't want you to be afraid of me anymore."_

And then Dark was hugging Bim with everything he had, trying to convey what he wanted and that he changed. That he didn't want to be the source of this child's nightmares, and instead he wanted to be comfort.

When the show host didn't do anything for a minute, Dark thought he messed up.  _Royally_ messed up. This wasn't what Bim came here to do, came here to say. The suited Ego pulled back in a flash, the words  _I'm sorry_ on the tip of his tongue, but he was interrupted before that could happen. He was interrupted by Bim latching onto him like a lifeline, pulling him close and burying his head in Dark's chest. The darker Ego recuperated swiftly, carding his hand through Bim's hair as he felt sobs rake the show host, his whole form shuddering in Dark's arms. 

A sharp feeling of deja vu came through the suited Ego, the memory of the that first day of Bim becoming a child coming to mind. But instead of being in a garden, he was in this room, and instead of Bim being a child, he was an adult. 

Without even thinking about it, Dark was humming a tune that he never knew but still somehow remembered, the brief sight of Celine singing it appearing in his mind. He rocked their bodies back and forth, leaning his head down so that it was on Bim's shoulder. Dark's other hand that wasn't in Bim's hair was gently rubbing his back with circular motions, hoping it would sooth the show host.

They were both in that position for a long while. How long was irrelevant to Dark, every thought and every drop of energy going into calming down Bim. When the sobs and shaking finally seized, the show host pulled back slightly, just enough to look the dark Ego in the eye. Dark could see the emotions cycling through Bim's eyes: uncertainty, want, longing and what Dark thought was  _trust._

It was nice to finally  _feel_ trusted, but even still, that one question still ran through his throughs.

_What happened to you?_

The Host's response ringing in his ears.

_Just ask him._

"Bim... what happened to you as a child?"

Bim's eyes grew conflicted, part of him wanting to tell Dark, the other wanting to keep it shoved down like he had all these years. What would it be like to finally get it off his chest, to reveal the horrors of it all?

The show host broke eye contact, stepping back a little more. "Can we sit down first?" he asked, not sure if he had the strength to stand up while doing this. To his relief Dark agreed, and they both sat on the floor, seeing that the only furniture in the room was the piano and it's bench.

Bim took a deep breath, staring down at his hands for several seconds. The story was on the tip of his tongue but he didn't know where to start, how much he should tell. Perhaps he should tell it all from the very beginning.

"I... I never knew my mom. At least, I didn't know her very well. I can remember little glimpses of her and whatnot, but I don't know her voice or even her name. I don't even think she should count as a mom," Bim began, already feeling tears trying to come up. Dark squeezed his hand reassuringly, encouraging him to go on.

"My dad, however, I  _did_ know, and there's not a day that passes that I wish I didn't. He... abused me. A lot. I don't think he was always that way, but... that's all I can recall him as. He gave me these," the show host continued, rolling up his sleeves to show the scars, which were a shade paler than his skin. There were even more than when Bim had been a child here, Dark thought, anger swelling inside of him.  

No. He had to stay calm.

"He always used a knife to give me these, and always made sure no one could ever see them." The suited Ego thought back through the years he's known Bim. Had he ever seen him without long sleeves on? He couldn't remember seeing so, even when they went to the beach Bim insisted on keeping his suit on and never going into the water. 

"He hit me a lot as well... blamed me for my mom leaving us," Bim's voice was hoarse now, taking several deep breaths to calm himself. "But the weirdest thing was, he looked almost exactly like... you. I know, weird, right? The first time I saw you I was so consumed with fear that I couldn't speak."

The dark Ego remembered that day when Bim was first created, appearing in Ego Inc with a flash. Bim had taken one look at him and didn't speak for 30 minutes. In fact, the first words he said were, "I'm Bim Trimmer!"

"It's also why I ran away when I first became a child. I thought that you were him... and that you had brought other people to hurt me. I didn't think, I just reacted, even though I thought you would still hurt me afterwards since I ran away.

"But anyway, all of this went on for many years, until I was about nine I think. I couldn't keep track of my birthday's very well, but I pretty sure that's how old I was. One day our next door neighbor came into our house while he was cutting me with the knife and called the police. My dad tried to stop them, but by the time he did the cops were there and he was arrested. He was sent to prison, but for how long I never knew, mainly because I never saw him again. I didn't have any other family to go to, so I was sent to an orphanage.

It was horrible there, from the first moment I entered to the moment I left. It was overcrowded, the food was bad and barely enough for the kids, the people that were supposed to take care of us were terrible, sickness spread easily, everything. The worst thing was, by the time I was there I had passed the age most adopting couples wanted. I watched kids come and go, and there I stayed until I graduated high school.

"You would not believe how happy I was to be out of there. I was malnourished for the most part, nothing but skin and bones, and I was forced to constantly wear something to cover up my scars because of how the other kids would treat me when they saw them. It was heaven to leave, and I did well enough in school to get a few scholarships to go to college. Things were finally starting to look up for me. I went into an acting and performance program, having found a talent in speaking and entertainment even though at the time I was still a very shy person. Hell, you could even argue that now.

"Then I found this girl. She was really nice and pretty and smart- and we got together after knowing each other a few months. It was great, I was doing well in my classes, I found a few good friends, and I had an amazing girlfriend. But with my luck, it didn't last very long. Not long at  _all._

"Lyra, my girlfriend, found out about the scars. Suddenly she became... disgusting towards me. I don't know why, she just was and there was nothing I could do about it. By this time we were living together and I felt like I couldn't leave, even if I wanted to. I was trapped in this cycle of being loved and being abused, eerily similar to what I went through with my dad, only there was no physical knife. The verbal and mental knife, however, was sharp and cut me to shreds. 

"It got worse. I started losing sleep, skipping my classes, staying home most of the time. I was miserable, so miserable that I began... cutting myself. Right over the scars my dad gave me all of those years ago. I don't know why I started, or even  _when_ I started, but I did. I have no doubt that Lyra knew this, seeing that I covered it up horribly, but she didn't seem to care. No one seemed to care.

"I started having these odd dreams, though. Dreams of becoming the most famous show host anyone's ever known, to have adoring fans and someone who loved me for who I was. To forget anything in my childhood ever happened. But I knew it would never be true, and one day, that truth became too much for me to handle."

Bim was crying freely now, not trying to stop them. Dark had both of his hands know, intertwining them together and holding them firmly. He didn't say a word, but Bim could see the emotion and passion in his black eyes as he listened. The show host shuddered, a tear dripping off his chin. He had to finish. He was almost there.

"I-I cut myself again. But this time, I didn't stop once I had gone over the ones my dad gave me. I went deeper and deeper until I was at the bone, until I couldn't move at all. I killed myself so that everything would stop and I would be at peace, and for a time, it actually worked. I don't know how long I was dead, but the next moment I knew, I was reborn into this world as apart of Mark, and would you know it- I was a show host. People knew who I was. My dream had  _actually_ come true," he looked at Dark. Tears were rolling down his face now, and before Bim could blink, he was caught in the suited Ego's embrace.

For the second time that day, Bim cried into Dark's suit, and Dark cried with him. 

But Dark wasn't crying simply because of Bim's story. Yes, that was part of it, but to know that the show host had kept this to himself for so long, kept it bottled up until it was ready to explode, hurt him a lot more than he expected it to.  _Everything_ hurt.

"I'm sorry," Dark was whispering over and over again. "I'm sorry I'm sorry  _I'm sorry."_

Maybe an hour passed, maybe 30 seconds, but Dark and Bim stayed there, wrapped up in each other. They never separated, even when they shifted around to get more comfortable. 

Now they both laid on the ground, legs tangled together and arms wrapped around each other. Dark once again was carding a hand through Bim's hair, and Bim's arms were around his torso, sighing contently. The silence was comfortable and soothing, lulling them into sleep.

Before they finally submitted to its call, Dark said, "you'll never feel unloved again, you hear me? From this day forward, nothing will hurt you."

Bim chuckled weakly, snuggling even closer. "I would like that."

And just like that, the two Ego's fell asleep, forever changed by the events that happened in the past week.

None of them saw the Jim's snap pictures of them together, but then again, they didn't need to know either.                    

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all folks! Hope you enjoyed!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Feel free to leave a comment.
> 
> ~Magical_Devil_Alex


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